Bad Feminist | by Roxane Gay

Bad Feminist had been on my to-read list since it came out. It has been well-reviewed and publicized and that’s because Gay has a knack for writing intelligently in a way that a broad audience can relate to. I actually started following her on Twitter (@rgay) before reading any of her work because she’s known for her social media presence and ability to wittily critique current social, racial, and cultural issues. This voice is clearly just a condensed, bite-size version of what you find in her collection of essays.

The essays in this collection talk about a number of things including feminism, race, and the way society has morphed into its current iteration. Gay uses various aspects of pop culture to get her points across, referencing shows like “Girls,” movies like “Django Unchained,” and books like the Sweet Valley High series. Her conversational tone makes it easy to digest what she’s saying, which helps add to this book’s a broad appeal. Gay also makes a point of speaking honestly about her own experiences and how they have influenced the way she sees the world.

I’m glad I finally got around to reading this book. I’ll definitely be reading the novel she published recently, An Untamed State, and I plan to continue checking out what she has to say about things going on in the world through her Twitter feed. You can read Sadie’s review of this title as well. I certainly think this is a book worth checking out.